Journal-lubricating system



Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,590 c. J. STRUVE JOURNAL LUBRICATING SYSTEM FiledAug. 23, 1924 z8 gg f5 7 18 if Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED, STATES Pai'lazrrr oFFic-a.

CARL JOSEPH BTBVE, Ol' ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

:ounNAL-Luxcarpre srs'rax.

Application lled August 28, 1924. v.Serial No. 218,679.

My invention relates to a system for lubricating 4the journal bearingsin the journal box of a railroad car; the invention having for itsobject the provision of means whereby the journal bearings will beautomatically 'l tional view of the lower portion of a journal box andmy lubricating system, with portions broken away. 'Figure 3 is asectional end elevation, taken v substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure1,

looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectionalview taken substantially :on the line4-4 of Figure 1.

In the particular exemplification of the invention as disclosed in thedrawing, the outer end of thel 'ournal is shown at 10, mounted in the.usual journal box which is enerally indicated at 11; the journal box.eing of the -usual standard construction, provided with theBabbitt-metal 12 in direct contact with the journal and beneath thebrass 13 which is held in place by the usual. wedgeblock 14.

` The bottom of the journal box is pro-l vided with ay cylinder 15 ofproper length .interme iate of its ends, is provided with a anddimensions; the cylinder being shown preferably provided with nipples16, 16 which are externally threadedand adapted to extend throughsuitable holes in the bottom of the journal box. The nipples arepreferably provided with ports 1.7 in the sides to permit draining ofthe journal-box; while the exterior ends of the nipplesare provided withsuitable'. caps 18 screwed l thereon. The caps 18, not only firmlysecure the cylinder in place but may also hold suitable washers inplace-on the vnipples to rovide fluid tight connection as shown in igure2; while the caps at the same time provide closures for the nip les; thenipples 16 being intended for draining and cleaning out the cylinder.and the lower part of the journal-box l when occasion requires.

The ends of the cylinder 15 arel shown preferably provided withremovable caps 19 and 20, which screw onto the cylinder ex-` terior andare preferabl provided with the flanges having dished si es as shown inFigue 3, so as to provide suitable support vfor the ends of the c linderand maintain it in spaced relation with the bottomv of the jour-`nal-box, while at the same time preventin accidental unscrewing ofthecaps. The hu of the cap 20 is shown socketed or dprovided with aninternal boreto receive an rovide bearingfor the spindle or shaft 21 o asuitable spiral or feed screw 22 which is vdisposed lengthwise of thecylinder. The cap 19 is apertured and shown provided with a bushin 23lfor the passage or sha 21. j

The outer. endof the spindle or shaft 21 is preferably angular yincross-'section and shown provided with `a sprocket 24 which of the yspindle is slidably mounted'on. the spindle or Shaft so as torotate'therew'ith and at the Same time permit movementin keeping withthe longitudinalmovement o f the journal. i The sprocket 24 is adaptedto. receive a sprocket chain 25 which extends about al sprocket 26 whichis suitably secured to the end of the journal 10 so as to rotate withthe journal; the sprocket 26 in the exemplifica'tion being provided witha hub, extending from one side thereof, terminating in a flared portionor flange whereby the sprocket mayk be secured to the end of the journalas for examplezby means of suitable bolts or screws as at 27 inFigure 1. .v 5

The c linder 15, preferably, at a point the oil may plurality ofopenings28 whereby With my enter or iow into the cylinder.

. improved system, the bottom of the journal lbox is intended to befilled with oil to a into the oil holding portion .of thebox; the

dished portion of the plate. being provided with a suitable numberl ofminute openings.

The cylinder 15 is thus fully immersed, thus causing the oil to enterthe cylinder through the ports or openings 28.

T e cylinder is shown provided with a pair of conduits 30' and 31 whichare pref' erably arranged to communicate with opposte ends of thecylinder 15. These conduits orv tubes 30 and 31 are arranged to extendtoward the outer end of the journalbox and lead upward beyond the end ofthe journal 10; with the upper ends of the conduits or tubes arranged tocommunicate with or extend into suitable longitudinal passagesl arrangedIin the brass 13. These passages extend from the outer end of the brasspreferably to a point intermediate of the ends, where the brass 13 withthe Babbitt-metal 12 are both provided with .a vertically disposed portor opening 32 extending through to the journal 10. The upper end of theport 32 in the brass 13 is shown preferably closed by a suitable plateas at 33 so as to induce the oil to flow out through the lower end ofport 32 and therefore onto the end of the journal 10. The opening 32 ispreferably of a size suiiicient to retain a considerable quantity ofoildischarged therein by either conduit 30 or 3l; and in the event thatthe quantity of oil fed into the opening or well 32 is in excess of theoil being taken up by the bearings, the excess oil will `flow backthrough the non-feeding conduit or tube, either 30 or 31 as the case maybe, into the cylinder 15 and again forced through the feeding conduit,thus maintaining constant circulation and an economic use of oil.

With my improved construction, it is apparent that the oil entering theports 28 of the cylinder l5 will be caused to travel toward one end ofthe cylinder when the spiral or feed-screw 22 is in operation; that isto say, when the car is in motion, rotation of jlpurnal 10 causes thescrew or spiral 22 to e rotated through Ithe medium of sprocket 26,sprocket chain 25 and sprocket 24, thereb forcing the oil toward one endof the cy inder 15 and therefore into the conduit or tube communicatingwith said and therefore cause the oil to be f end of the cylinder.Movement of the car .and its journal in the opposite direction willcause the spiral to reverse its o eration toward the opposite end ofthecylinder and upward through the tube communicating with said end; itbeing understood that the oil is forced through one conduit or tube ata` time, depending upon the direction of'travel of the car. The oilforced upward through the tube, passes lthrough the respectivelongitudinal passage in the 'brass and empties into the port 32. Inorder that the oil may quickly find passage to the ends of theBabbitt-metal and thus ensure the entire bearing surface of the journalbeing fully lubricated, I prefer to provide the bottom surface In theparticular exemplification, the tubes 30, 31 are each shown providedwith a head or intermediate connection 35 to receive the portions of thetubes which are rigidly connected with the cylinder 15; although it lisevident that the tubes may be made continuous and vconnected in anysuitable way to' the cylinder; the construction illustrated permittingeasy assembly of the parts and also enabling the tubes to be replaced orthe cylinder to-be removed without disconnecting the upper ends of thetubes.

As is a parent from the construction shown Iin t e drawing, an automaticoiling system for the car or journal box is provided which will ensurecomplete lubrication after the car or journal box has been supplied witha suilicient quantity of oil; the excess oil delivered at the top of thejournal being allowed to pass through the non-feeding tube back into thec linder from whence it is again forced t rough either one of theconduits or tubes. When the oil is to be renewed and the cylinder withthe lower part of the journal box is to be drained, it is evident thatremoval of o the caps 18, 18 will allow the oil to drain from thecylinder and also from the journalbox by means of the' holes in thesides of the nipples, thus permitting a complete draining of thecylinder and the journal-box.

I have shown and described what I believe to be the simplest embodimentof my invention and have described the same in 'terms which are employedmerel as terms of description and not as terms of `mitation, asstructural modifications are possible and may be made without, however,departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

ios p 1. A system of the character described,

' comprisi in combination with a journalbox, a c linder located inthe'bottom of the journalx and provided with clean-out nipples adaptedto. extend through the bottom of the journal-box, closures for saidterminating in a common port extending4 through to the bottom of thebrass, a cylinder located in the bottom of the journalbox and rovidedwith inlet ports in the side wall or admitting oil into the cylinderinder disposed journal-box whereby the cylinder is re-I from thejournal-box, an outlet from the cylthrough the wall of the movably heldin lace and the oil ma be drained, a pair of conduits extending romopposite ends of the cylinder and communieating with the ports in thebrass, a feedscrew rotatably mounted in the cylinder adapted to forcethe oil toward either end of the cylinder, the spindle of the feed-screwbeing disposed through the end wall of the cylinder and provided with asprocket slidably mounted thereon, a sproc et secured to the outer endof the journal, and

a chain disposed about the .sprockets on the feed-screw spindle and onthe journal whereby the feed-screw is rotated in the same direction asthe journal revolves.

3. In a system of the character described, a cylinder provided with aclean-out portion adapted to extend through the bottom of a journal-boxa be secured thereto, inlet orts in the 'side wall of the cylinder, aeed-screw located in the cylinder, closure means for the ends of thecylinder adaptedl to rovide bearings for .the spindle oi the fee -screw,a conduit connected with each end of the cylinder and arranged todischarge the oil onto the' journal, and-driving mechanism intermediateof the spindle of the feed-screw and the journal whereby the feed-screwIis rotated as the journal revolves.k

4. In `.an oiling system of the character described, the combination ofa journal-box in which the end of a journal is rotatably mounted, acylinder located in the bottom of the journal-box and provided withnipples disposed through the bottom of the journalbox, the nipples beingprovided with openings in the side for draining the bottom of thejournal-box, closures for the outer ends of the nipples whereby thecylinder is clamped in place, oil admitting ports in the cylinder,conduits leadingl from op osite ends of the cylinder for conveying theoil onto the journal, a feed-screw in the cylinder, and meansvintermediate of the feedscrew and the journal whereby the screw isrotated and oil forced through one or the other of said conduits.

- vCARL JOSEPH STRUVE.

